Step 4: Finish sand and cut off the scrap block

Step 5: *****Update on the finish 03/18/2013

I got to see this bowl again recently and I must say the bowl looks great, even after several salads and washings. The finish has only been applied on...

Hello everyone, this is my 12th bowl that I have "successfully" completed and my 2nd segmented bowl.
I made it for my Fathers nurse for a Christmas present. Im am pretty proud of this one as it is the finest piece I have made thus far.
This one was a lot of fun. enjoy.

Lathes are very dangerous and you can become seriously injured or even killed operating one. I have a lot of experience and knowledge you should only attempt this project if you have sufficient knowledge, experience and safety gear.

Step 1: Lumber selection and preperation.

You can make this out of any type of wood you choose, though I would suggest using hardwoods.
I chose some Harvested Maple from a friend and some Black walnut I brought from eastern Tennessee.
These two woods accent each other wonderfully.

I didn't measure anything except the bowls finish dimension. also take into account your lathe "swing" allowance, My Delta 46-460 has a 12 1/2" swing. so I chose to make the bowl around 11 1/2 - 12" in diameter.

The bowl consists of a solid walnut base with progressively larger "rings" of segmented octagonal circles stacked on top of one-another for a grand total of 5 rings of 8 segments each each segment is cut at 22.5° at each end. each set of segments per ring must be the same length

after choosing the lumber you need to rip it into strips. I chose 1 1/2" widths but looking back I coulkd have gone less.
once you have enough lumber ripped for your bowl (you have to do the math) cut all of your segment for the bowl one ring at a time. this will ensure you have the same sized segments for each ring.

Your rings look like they fit together perfectly - the 8 segments of 22.5°. I have to sand a bit to make them fit well enough to glue; so that you can't see any gap at all between segment pieces. I have not yet made anything this large, however.

About the hose clamps - they look like blue belting? Are they just regular clamps?

also, I made a dedicated sled for the 22.5 degree angles. It worked excellent. Since then I have purchased an INCRA miter gauge with sled. I haven't tried it out yet with segments but I'm sure it will perform nicely. One thing I have noticed with angle cuts is that a crosscut sled is the best way to go. At least with woodworking...

I have been tempted to buy the INCRA sled, very impressive tool. However, my shop is so full of sleds now that I'm tripping over them. I made a sled where I can "tweak" the angle with a threaded adjuster. Will be using that one for segments.

I confess I had to get help on turning the inside, but thanks. It is made of padauk and oak. For this one, with 12 segments, I experimented used my miter saw, which has a factory set stop at 15°. But I'm going to abandon using the miter saw (hard to set other angles precisely) and make dedicated sleds as you do. The first should be complete today. I am laying out everything mathematically. I am taking photos and will post an Instructable.

Yes, I get addicted. But my motto is "if you can't be obsessed about something it's not worth doing".

Great motto.Your turning is more cup shaped. When the walls are narrow like that its quite a bit more tricky to do the inside. You can get specialized tools for hollowing. that makes all the difference.

strong!!! if you are properly clamping them and use a yellow wood glue, you should be fine. also, wear a good quality face shield just in case. make sure you let the glue fully set before attempting to turn it.

Great job on the bowl! a little trick i sometime use when not mounting a bowl an a chuck is to glue a piece of news paper between the waste block and the bowl bottom. a sharp chisel will easily separate the two and you are just left with a little bit of paper to sand off.

If using linseed oil, you should read the label carefully because some linseed oil furniture finishes have lead and/or other toxic materials added as preservatives. Mineral oil would probably be a better bet for use in a food-safe finish.

linseed oil is industrial grade oil from flaxseed. (possibly processed with toxic things). you would want flaxseed oil instead for this project. they are the same oils, but with different names, processed differently for different purposes.

Most of my pro woodturning instructors, demonstraters, and finish books/DVD, etc, say that all un-leaded finnish are food safe-ONCE THEY HAVE CURED. It can take various times to realy cure, depending on what you apply. Some say that mineral oil never cures, and can retain impurities. ???? Maybe the varnish based oils would work, as they do cure, but takes a longer wait.

in my experience with varnish and polyurethane finish types they turn milky and soft after water has set on them for a length of time. After its soft and you scrape the finish and essentially "ruin" the look of the bowls finish. Therefore if the bowl is going to be in a wet environment (salad bowls) you would want to use a more durable finish that is food-safe. Wax (paraffin, bees) are excellent alternatives. Also note Beeswax gives off a wonderful honey aroma while you apply.

I can see straight mineral oil retaining impurities as it does not dry out. but mix it with a wax base and you have one that wipes dry and protects better than any oil base out there. unless you look into an epoxy or marine finish. But then again. that's a whole new ballpark all-together. not to mention cost of those finishes.